Mechanical sculling machine



March 19, 1957 H. L. CULLISON MECHANICAL SCULLING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 19, 1955 I NY 'EN TOR.

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A1113. R N EYE March 19, 1957 H. CULLISON MECHANICAL SCULLING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 19, 1955 INVENTOR. r1151! [all United States Patent NIECHANICAL SCULLING MACHEIE Harvey Lee Cullison, Vincennes, Ind.

Application July 19, 1955, Serial No. 522,902

4 Claims. (c1. 11s---30) This invention relates to a boat, and more particularly to a propulsion device for a boat.

The object of the invention is to provide a propulsion device for a boat whereby the boat can be moved in a forwardly or reverse direction by manually rotating a handle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means i for propelling a boat by rotating a large handwheel, back and forth, and wherein the device can be readily tilted or pivoted up out of the water when desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanical sculling machine which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the sculling machine of the present invention, showing the parts in position for traveling forward or backward.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the sculling machine of the present invention, showing the parts in turning position.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the device, corresponding to Figure 2 for turning the boat.

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the device as when the boat is being turned around.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view blades and springs.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7--7 of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a front view of the left hand paddle of Figure 4.

Figure 9 is a rear view of the left hand paddle of Figure 4.

Figure 10 is a schematic showing illustrating the action of the blades.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the attachment of one of the cables to the lever.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the modification for locking the beam in its various pivoted positions.

Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure 12 but showing the parts in adjusted position.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary perspective view of the bracket for use with the structure of Figures 12 and 13.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a portion of a boat which is to be propelled in a forward or reverse direction or turned around, and the boat 10 includes an upstanding transom 11, Figure l. The mechanical sculling machine of the present invention includes an elongated beam 13 which may be of cylindrical shape. The beam 13 is provided with a slot or cutout 12 intermediate its ends, and a lever 14 projects bowing the 'ice through the slot 12 and is pivotally connected to the beam 13 by means of a pin 15.

Supported by the front end of the beam 13 is a suitable securing element or shaft 16, and mounted on the securing element 16 is a sleeve 17, Figure 3. A circular handle or steering wheel 18 is secured to the sleeve 17, and a pulley 19 is also secured to the sleeve 17 so that as the handle 18 rotates the pulley 19 will also be rotated. An endless belt 20 is trained over the pulley 19, and the belt 20 is also trained over a pulley 21 which is mounted on a shaft 22. The shaft 22 is supported at the rear of the beam 13.

A means is provided for attaching the machine to the boat 10, and this means comprises a tubular collar 23 which is secured to the undersurface of the beam 13 in any suitable manner, as for example by welding. The collar 23 rotatably receives therein a rod 24, and a pair of clamps 25 are secured to the rod 24 in any suitable manner. Each of the clamps 25 straddles the upper portion of the transom 11 of the boat 10 as shown in Figure 2, and each clamp 25 carries an adjustable screw member 26 which is manually tightened or loosened by means of a handle member 27. Due to the position of the bar 24 which projects through the collar 23, the beam 13 and its associated parts can be pivoted or swung about an axis extending through the rod 24.

Secured to the beam 13 is a tubular supporting assembly or casings 28 in which is rotatably mounted the shaft 22. Arranged at right angles with respect to the lower end of the supporting assembly 28 and secured to the lower end of the shaft 22 through the medium of a T-fitting, are aligned bars 29 which may be of cylindrical shape, and secured to each end of the bars 29 is a hollow housing 30. Each housing 30 has an arm 31 rotatably arranged therein, and ball bearings 32 and 33 are arranged adjacent each end of the housing 30 for reducing friction as the arm 31 rotates, Figure 5.

A link 34 is secured to the upper end of each of the arms 31, and there is further provided a pair of coil springs 35. The coil springs 35 each have an end connected to the links 34, while the other ends of the coil springs 35 are connected to hooks 36 which extend upwardly from the bar 29.

The lower end of each of the arms 31 is bifurcated or cutaway as at 37, and a paddle or blade 38 is pivotally mounted in each of the bifurcated portions 37 of the arms 31 by means of a pin 39. Stop pins 41 and 42 extend from each blade 38 to limit swinging movement of the blades. A corner of each of the blades may be cutaway as at 40 so as to provide clearance for the blades as they pivot in the cutaway portions 37.

A means is provided for interconnecting the pair of paddles 38 together so that as one moves the other moves therewith and this means comprises a cable 43. The cable 43 is connected to hook members 44 which extend from the blades or paddles 38 and the cable 43 is ar ranged in engagement with guide pulleys 45. A cable 46 is connected to a hook 47 which extends from the lever 14, and the cable 46 is trained over pulleys 48, 49 and 50. An end of the cable 46 is connected to a hook member 51 which projects outwardly from one of the blades. There is further provided a flexible cable which may be made of any suitable material such as wire or rope and this cable is indicated by the numeral 52. The, cable 52 is connected to the lower end of the lever 14 and is trained over pulleys 53 and 54 and is connected to the other paddle 38 by means of a hook 55. .The cable 52 may also be arranged in engagement with a pulley 56 which is connected to the supporting structure 28. A plate 57 may be secured to the clamps 25, and the plate 57 is arranged adjacent the outer surface of the board 11 of the boat 14 From the foregoing it is apparent that there has been provided a sculling machine whichcan be used for propelling a 'boat such as the boat "10 either'in a forward or reverse direction. Due'to the provision of'the pivot rod "24, the assembly can be arranged so that-the blades 33 are totally immerged in the water or els'e'they can be partially submerged in the water or else they can be lifted completely out of the Water. In use the operator sitting in the boat merely rotates the handle 18 back and forth and this causes rotation of the pulley 19 which causes movement of the belt 29. Thismovement of the belt 20 results in rotationof the pulley 21 and this in turn causes rotation of the shaft 22. As the shaft '22 rotates the bar 29 is pivoted about an axis which entends through the casing 28. This swinging movement of the bar 29 causes the padd'les'or blades 38 to move through the water and'th'ereby propel thefb'oat'in aforward or reverse direction. It is to be noted that with the blades 38 in the position shown; in Figure 4, there is a-larger area of the blades 38 on'o'ne side of each of the arms-31than it is on the other'side. Also, with the parts arranged as shown-ins'olid lines in Figure as when the lever 14 has been pivoted about the pin 15, the blades 38 have been caused to pivot in the bifurcated portions 37 so that the blades are positioned 90 degrees away from the position shown in Figure 4. That is, the left blade 38 inFigure 3 has itself arranged so that more of the blade is to the right of the :arm 31 than'it is to the left. in Figure 5 the reverse is true and more of the blade 38 is to the left of the arm 31 than it is to 'the right. This same observation applies to both blades since they are interconnected together through the mediumof the cable 43. The movement of'the blades be tween the positions shown in Figures 4 and 5 or the movement illustrated in Figure is brought about due to the fact that the cables 46 and '52 are connected to the blades andalso to the manually movable lever 14. Thus, since the blades are in different positions, rotation of the handle 18 at onetime will cause forward movement of the 'boat'while rotation of the handle 18 withthe blades shifted will cause reverse movement of the boat.

-Thus it will be seen thatto propel the boat the handwheel 18 is rotated back and forth'about one quarter of a turn and this transmits power by r'n'ean's of the belt to the shaft 22 at the opposite end of the beam 13. This shaft 22 swings the bar 29 back and forth-and the blades 38 are attached to each end of the bar which swings from side to'side. The action of the blades isco'ntrolled by the springs and the springs-'35serve to hold the blades in a neutral position when not in motion. As soon as motion is started the springs 35 resist the water pressure and build up pressure as the resistance increases. Therefore, the blade resistance is transmitted against the bar 29 and then to the boat transom-11 by the bracket 57 which is clamped to the boat.

To operate the device, it is only necessary to turn the large handwheel 18 back and forth about one quarter of a turn and this motion transmits power to the shaft 16, then to the pulley 19, then to the 'belt 20 and then to the pulley 21. The power is then transmitted to 'the shaft 22, then to the bar 29 which swings back and forth in a circular motion. The blades 33 are attached to each end of the bar 29 which swings from side to side.

7 The blades 38 have their actions governed or controlled by the springs 35 and the springs are fastened to the bar and to the -links34, As soon as motion is started, the springs '35 resist the density of the water against the blades and build up pressure as the resistance is increased so that the boat is forced opposite to the line of resistance. In actual operation thetwo blades 38 move in opposite directions to equalize the line of resistance at the shaft 22 which results in a straight line of force moving the boat straight ahead. By moving the lever '14 the boat can be made to go forward or backward. When the lever 14 is moved the cables 46 and '52 change the position of the blades 38. For forward movement the blades operate from side to side behind the arms 31.

a For reverse movementto back up the boat the blades change positions and operate from side to side in the are at the end of the bar 29. By turning the handle 18 the blades can be made to pull forward and push the water to the rear. By moving the handwheel 18 to a 10 different position the blades will turn to the opposite 15 of the beam 13 and its associated parts side and cause movement of the boat in the opposite direction.

An adjusting member 60 is provided which can be manually operated in order to limit pivotal movement A coil spring 61 has one end connected to the beam 13 through the medium of a clamp 62, Figure 3, and the other end of the coil spring 61 may be connected to the assembly which surrounds the 'sha'ft ZZ. The coil spring 61 serves 0 as a centering spring soLas to help maintain the. boat on course or normally in the position shown in Figure 1.

Referring to Figures 12, 13 and 14 of the drawings, there is shown 'a modified means of attaching the device to the transom. Thus, there is provided a bracket 63 5 which includes a plate portion 64, a top piece 65 and a downwardly extending section 66 thatterminates in a curved flange 67 which is provided with 'an opening 68. The top portion '65 is provided with a slot 69 which defines a lip 70 for a purpose to be later described. A 0 lever 71 projects through a cut-out or slot 72 in the beam 13, and the lever 71 maybe pivotally connected to 'the'beam 13 through the medium of a pivot pin 73. g

The lever 71 is provided with a plurality of teeth 74 which are adapted to coact with the lip 70, and a coil 5 spring 75 has one end arranged in'e'ngagernent with the.

opening 68 in the. flange 67, while the other end'of the coil spring 75 is connected to the beam 13 through the medium of a suitable securing element 76. Acoil spring 77 is provided, and the spring 77 has one end connected to the lever 71 while the other endrof the spring 77 may be connected to the rod 24.

The spring 61 is connected in such a manner that the parts have a tendency to remain in the position shown in Figure 1 so that the boat can be easily maintained on a course. If desired two of the devices of the present invention can be mounted on opposite sides 'of the bioat in order to control movement of the boat through The link or hook 47 may be made of spring Water. steel who so that the operator can readily disconnect the cables from the lever as when the parts are to be removed for storage or transportation. Thus, by removing certain parts of the sculling machine, the device will occupy less "space when his being carried in a vehicle such as a car.

to push the boat forward, the steering wheel 18 is turned part way around back and forth and by means of the 'belt 20 which connects the pulleys 19 and 21, 'the ends 65 of the bars 29 are made to swing'from right to left across the axis or center line of the boat 10 at the rear When the bars 29 are moved so as toswingtheir thereof. ends from right to left of a line that is at right angles with. respect to the center line, the boat 10 willbe' 70 turned around in its own length. To operate the bars 29 to the right and the left of a line, any degree off the center line will cause the boat to travel in a circle and thereby steering is accomplished.

In Figures 12, 13 and 14 there is illustrated an adjust 75 ableratchet mechanism wherein there is provided a bar Figure 2 is a top plan view of the sculling-nia chine with the parts in position to swing the stern of the boat around. The handle or lever 14 is moved forward or lever 71 which projects through a slot 72 in the beam 13, and the lever 71 may be pivotally connected to the beam 13 by means of a pin 73. The lever 71 also projects through a slot 69 in the bracket 63. A spring 77 forces or biases the teeth 74 against the lip 70, and a spring 75 extends between the beam 13 and the flange 67. Thus, when the sculling machine is secured to the boat transom 11 by means of the clamps 25, the stern of the boat is somewhat lower in the water due to the added weight of the operator. To keep the beam 13 level and thereby keep the bars 29 at the proper dis tance above the water, the operator merely presses down on the operating wheel 18 which lowers the forward end of the beam 13 and raises the aft end of the beam 13 on the tubular collar 23 which is rotatably mounted on the rod 24 and since the ratchet bar 71 is connected to the beam 13 by means of the pin 73, the ratchet bar 71 therefore raises also with the beam 13. The tension of the spring 77 holds the teeth 74 against the lip 70 so as to prevent the bar 71 from slipping downward accidentally. The spring 75 holds or maintains the beam 13 immobile in its adjusted positions but in the event that the blades 38 strike a solid object under water, the upward force on the blades 38 raises the beam 13 so that the springs 75 and 77 can stretch whereby the ratchet bar 71 slides upwardly through the slot 69 to prevent damage to the parts. To reset the beam in a level position, the operator presses downward on the wheel 18 and then pulls forward on the bar 71 so as to release the teeth 74 from the lip 70. The wheel 18 is then raised and the bar 71 will -slide downward in the slot 69 until the beam 13 becomes level. Then, forward pressure on the bar 71 is released and the springs automatically lock the bar 71 in place.

When traveling in shallow water, the aft end of the beam 13 can be raised until only one (the forward) blade 38 is partially or partly submerged, and the sculling machine will still propel the boat 10. To beach the boat 19, the wheel 18 is pressed downward to the lowest position, and the blades 38 will then be high out of the water and the beam 13 will be in the position shown in Figure 13.

I claim:

1. In a mechanical sculling machine, a beam provided with a slot intermediate its ends, a lever pivotally mounted in said slot, a collar arranged transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of said beam and secured thereto, a rod pivotally mounted in said collar, a pair of adjustable clamps secured to said rod for engaging with a boat to be propelled, a securing element supported by the front end of said beam, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said securing element, a first pulley connected to said sleeve, a shaft rotatably supported by the rear of said beam, a second pulley on the upper end of said shaft, an endless belt trained over said pulleys, a supporting structure surrounding a portion of said shaft and secured to said beam, bars arranged at right angles with respect to said shaft and secured to the lower end thereof, a pair of housings secured to the ends of said bars, an arm rotatably arranged in each of said housings and each of said arms being provided with a bifurcated lower portion, a blade pivotally mounted in each of the bifurcated portions of said arms, a first cable interconnecting said blades together, guide pulleys engaged by said cable, a link secured to the upper end of each of said arms, coil springs connecting said links to said bar, and a pair of cables connected to said lever and to said blades.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1, and further including pulleys engaged by said last named cables.

3. The structure as defined in claim 1, and further including a circular handle on the upper end of said sleeve.

4. In a mechanical sculling machine, a beam provided with a slot, a lever pivotally mounted in said slot, a collar secured to said beam, a rod pivotally mounted in said collar, a pair of adjustable clamps secured to said rod for engaging with a boat to be propelled, a securing element supported by said beam, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said securing element, a first pulley connected to said sleeve, a shaft rotatably supported by said beam, 21 second pulley on said shaft, an endless belt trained over said pulleys, a supporting structure surrounding a portion of said shaft and secured to said beam, bars secured to the lower end of said shaft, housings secured to said bars, an arm rotatably arranged in each of said housings and each of said arms being provided with a bifurcated lower portion, a blade pivotally mounted in each of the bifurcated portions of said arms, a first cable interconnecting said blades together, guide pulleys engaged by said cable, a link secured to each of said arms, resilient means connecting said links to said bar, and cables connected to said lever and to said blades.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 904,154 Seck Nov. 17, 1908 

